Calcutta HC directs Union Home Ministry to join Mahua Moitra security case

Kolkata: A single-judge bench of the Calcutta High Court on Wednesday directed the Union Home Ministry to be a party in the case related to the security of Mahua Moitra, the Trinamool Congress Lok Sabha member from Krishnanagar constituency in Nadia district.

The single-judge bench of Justice Saugata Bhattacharya directed the Union Home Ministry to be a party in the case till Thursday.

Moitra had earlier approached the Calcutta High Court seeking protection, alleging that miscreants had been repeatedly harassing her within her Lok Sabha constituency.

She alleged that sometimes eggs were thrown at her while she was at the party office, and sometimes she had been attacked while she was travelling in a car within her Lok Sabha constituency.

Accordingly, the Calcutta High Court had earlier directed that sufficient security should be provided to the Trinamool Lok Sabha member Moitra while she would be within her constituency.

However, since she faced attack and harassment, she again approached the Calcutta High Court seeking assignment of whole-time security personnel for her.

The court ordered the deployment of two security guards for Moitra when she would be within her Lok Sabha constituency.

On October 7, the court had sought the report from the state government in the matter and also directed the latter to inform the court about the rules regarding the security of a Lok Sabha member within her constituency.

On Wednesday, the state's Additional Advocate General Rajdeep Majumdar submitted a report in the Calcutta High Court.

He told the court that the Krishnagar Lok Sabha MP was getting security as per the Union Home Ministry guidelines and as per the MP's Yellow Book.

The Trinamool MP was given "X" category security as per the Yellow Book, the Additional Advocate General told the court.

In his counter argument, Moitra's counsel told the court that although one personal security officer (PSO) had been appointed for his client, the PSO did not stay with her round the clock.

Moitra's counsel also said that since his client had sought additional and enhanced security for her after sustained attacks, the Union Home Ministry could intervene in the matter.

Thereafter, Justice Bhattacharya asked for inclusion of the Union Home Ministry as a party in the matter by Thursday.

The next hearing on the matter will be held on December 2.

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